dod tactical herbicide sites - United States Department of Defense

extended to a height of 50 feet with fluorescent orange flags attached. The compoundswere applied at rates of 1, 2, 3, or 4 gallons per acre on duplicate plots. Because theHIDAL system was calibrated to deliver 1 gallon per acre, the pilot had to fly over thesame area two to four times to deliver the higher rates. Spraying began on 14 June 1966when new leaves were fully expanded and the trees actively growing. Spraying was doneduring a stationary low pressure atmospheric condition when there was little or no windso that spraying was continuous from daylight to dark for 3 successive days, therebycompleting 107 plots in about 30 hours actual flying time. The remaining nine plots wereleft as check plots.Of the nine compounds tested, four contained 2,4,5-T. They were described as Orange(50:50 mixture of n-butyl esters of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T), Purple (50% n-butyl ester 2,4-D,30% n-butyl ester of 2,4,5-T, and 20% isobutyl ester of 2,4,5-T), 70:30 Mixture (70-30mixture of n-butyl esters of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T), and M-2993 (1:4 mixture of isooctyl esterof picloram + propylene glycol butyl ether ester of 2,4,5-T).Of the 107 plots receiving herbicides, 46 plots received 2,4,5-T at varying rates. Thus forthe entire experiment, 55 gallons (1 drum) of Orange were sprayed on 14 plots (38.5acres), 55 gallons of Purple (1 drum) were sprayed on 14 plots (38.5 acres), 50 gallons of70:30 Mixture were sprayed on 12 plots (33 acres), and 12 gallons of M-2993 on 6 plots(16.5 acres). The 46 plots received a total of 172 gallons of 2,4,5-T containing herbicide,or approximately 800 pounds of 2,4,5-T as the butyl ester or butyl ether ester sprayed on126.5 acres which equates to approximately 6 pounds of 2,4,5-T per acre aerially appliedat tree-top level.The authors acknowledged the two men who piloted the helicopter, and a CanadianMajor who assisted the two researchers in the field as a Range Officer. They alsoacknowledged the “enlisted men” of the Royal Canadian Army Service, the RoyalCanadian Horse Artillery, and the Air Observation Post. Presumably the enlisted menmay have been involved in the logistical operations of receiving and transport of theherbicide to the airfield and in assisting the loading of the aircraft. The isolation of thesite and how the operation was conducted suggested that few men outside of the FortDetrick Research Team would have been involved in the actual spraying of theherbicides.1966 Sources: Demaree KD and Creager RA (1968): Defoliation Tests in 1966 atBase Gagetown, New Brunswick, Canada. Technical Memorandum 141, Department ofthe Army, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland. Document unclassified but subject tospecial export control. Available from the Defense Documentation Center, AccessionNumber AD 843989.Minarik, CE (1966): Trip Report – Evaluation of Defoliation Tests at Canadian ForcesBase Gagetown, New Brunswick, Canada. Crops Division, Fort Detrick, Frederick,Maryland.Assessment for the 1967 Field Trials: The plots were sprayed by a Bell G-2 helicopter fitted with two 40-gallon saddle tanks and a 24-foot boom with nozzle39